With more than 122 million copies sold, Nintendo places its Switch on the podium of the best-selling consoles.
Only PlayStation 2 and Nintendo DS did better. With more than 122 million copies sold, the Switch becomes the third best-selling game console in history, indicates polygon. The figures were revealed by the Japanese manufacturer during the presentation of the financial results for its third fiscal quarter.
Marketed in March 2017, Nintendo’s hybrid concept – both playable on a home console and a portable console – will begin its seventh year of existence next month. A longevity that has allowed it to surpass Sony’s PlayStation 4 (117 million copies) but also its ancestor and reference in portable video games: the Game Boy (118 million copies).
PlayStation 2 peaks in the lead
Now on the podium, the Nintendo Switch may have trouble reaching its latest competitors. The Nintendo DS, the latest portable console concept from the Japanese manufacturer, has sold 154 million units. For its part, the PlayStation 2 culminates at the top of the ranking thanks to its 155 million copies sold.
However, the Japanese group has revised downwards its sales expectations for its entire financial year, which will close at the end of March. The company now expects to sell 18 million Nintendo Switches against initial estimates of 19 million.
In addition, Nintendo Switch sales seem to be leveling off since over one year, they have fallen by 21%. To explain these poor results, the manufacturer highlights “a shortage of semiconductors and other components which affected production until the end of the summer”. However, its competitor Sony recently indicated that shortages were now history, welcoming the possibility of supplying the shelves with PlayStation 5 again.
In France alone, 7 million Switches have been sold. Thus, more than one in ten French people is now equipped. The console should now come up against an increasingly saturated market.
Expected game releases
Above all, the Nintendo Switch seems to be coming to an end. “We believe there is little room for growth in the latest generation of consoles,” strategist Amir Anvarzadeh commented in a note from Asymmetric Advisors, adding that “the Switch urgently needs an upgrade. , at least its graphics processor”.
Nevertheless, exclusive game releases should continue to carry the console, at least this year. Apart from the titles Fire Emblem Engagereleased in January, or Bayonetta Originsdue out in March, eyes are turning more to the next Zelda.
Scheduled for launch on May 12, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom should mark the year of the video game. This is the direct sequel to the previous episode. Breath of the Wild, which sold 29 million units. Like its predecessor, the new opus of one of Nintendo’s flagship licenses promises to boost sales of games, but also of consoles.
